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Letter from Publisher, July 2014

Ideal summers bring long sunshiny days replete with outdoor dinners in cooler evening air and great conversations around a fire pit. My upcoming calendar is filled with outdoor fun and special times with friends and family, from weddings and camping out to lazy days simply playing in the Tohickon Creek.

A couple of questions I often hear are: “How do you do it? How can you mother three young children and publish a monthly magazine?” Just this month, I fielded a request by the publisher of Mama’s Lil Guide to write on the topic. Running any business while raising a family is no easy task for the thousands of mothers doing it, and I am always eager to compare notes.

I’ve observed, for example, that many working mothers are tempted to feel alone and helpless at times; I know because I’ve been there. When I sat down to think about what I wanted to share with my sisters, I realized that what makes my life possible and satisfying is the great support system I enjoy. I certainly could not step into publishing a magazine without my husband’s help with the family; he is a big reason why I can do what I need to do. Neither would the magazine be possible without the solid teamwork of individuals that help me write, edit, proof, layout and distribute the magazine as well as, of course, readers.

As for my part of the formula, I wish I could say that I always practice what I preach and have 100 percent healthy eating, meditation, exercise and eco-habits… but I can’t, at least not yet. I do what I can and keep adding to the plus side. I’ve found that investing in my happiness helps. For instance, I have always wanted to learn about homeopathy and finally have an opportunity to do it, which is why I am excited to learn easy ways to get started, courtesy of Denise Timofai in “The Summer Homeopathic Medicine Chest,” on page 38.

Food is becoming an all-consuming passion in America in response to epidemic obesity and diseases linked to poor diet. For the health and well-being of both people and the planet, we need everyone to change how we think about food. In this month’s feature article, “Stewards of Earth’s Bounty,” Melinda Hemmelgarn introduces us to the kind of organic farmers that are making a foundational difference in how we approach, promote and protect our natural resources while producing health-giving foods. (I also can’t wait to try this month’s recipes.)

May you and your loved ones nourish yourselves well while you revel in summer’s bounty of goodness and find ways to make space and time for all that you enjoy.